The Passengers
by BlondieBombshell
Summary: AU Marissa centric fic. 'Gazing upon the expanse of nameless faces, the familiar surge of warmth ignited her body. A feeling only ever experienced on stage, she had discovered.' The journey the band takes to success.
1. Chapter 1

Hello all! Welcome to my first OC fan fiction. This is a Marissa-based and very AU story which is ironic, I know, considering she's DEAD! But none the less I'm not going to let that little detail steal my thunder. There are no pairings as of yet and I'm just going to see where this takes me before deciding any. So, with that said, on with the show… Enjoy!

**The Passengers**

**PROLOGUE**

Gazing upon the expanse of nameless faces, the familiar surge of warmth ignited her body. A feeling only ever experienced on stage, she had discovered. As a lone bead of perspiration abseiled down her defined features and anchored itself on her grin, she calmly spoke soft murmurs into the microphone, received immediately with thunderous applause. With one swift and effortless flick of the hand, the sweat had vanished, and the band had begun playing the next song.

Harmonious melodies saturated the very walls of the pokey venue as the band continued to play. The nameless faces now a sea of swaying bodies, seemingly swept in an invisible tide. She grasped the microphone tighter and pressed it sharply to her lips; her dewy but raspy and deep tone oozed around the room in an effortlessly sexy demeanour as she oozed around the stage in similar fashion.

As the show came to an end, with one final encore and the traditional salute of the 'finger' from the tantalising front woman and a nervous wave from the guitarist, the band returned to their dressing room, a tangle of joyous energy and congratulations:

"Great show tonight guys…give me a ring sometime and we'll sort something out" or "Bloody brilliant, you crazy bitches…fucking fruitier than a melon man…"

The praise continued to track their progress from the stage to the dressing room where they were promptly followed and the party began.

"So, Marissa," the small man from NME magazine with the sharp suit began his interview, "you've just finished your third headlining gig here in the old UK, how does it feel…?"

Marissa deftly worked the make-shift cigarette between her fingers and then placed the some-what shaky roll up between her lips. She leaned forward, "got a light?" The interviewer smirked and reached into his pocket for the required tool. Once the cigarette had been successfully lit, Marissa slowly reclined in the giant leather sofa she had been drowning in, blowing smoke rings with a pensive expression adorning her seamless face:

"It feels good, Tom." She reclined further with a satisfied smirk.

"My name's Matt…" The confused interviewer began.

"No, I'm sorry, I know it's Matt, I was just kidding," sighing in relief that he did not have to deal with another tempestuous wannabe rock star with a bad attitude and even worse habits, he relaxed and opened his ears to the beauty before him," it does feel fantastic though, I'm elated! I can't stop grinning! Ask the guys too, it was a fucking fantastic show though wasn't it. The crowd were great; we are definitely looking forward to coming back soon."

"Cool. You ever play this venue before?"

"No we've never played this one before, but when we were younger and scrambled enough money to come here for a summer, 'cos the music scene's so fucking genius and original, we played some of the pubs close by. Always have great crowds here; up for anything, but bloody hostile too if you're not your best."

"Glad to see you appreciate the music. Tell me about the music scene back home."

"It's great too, well LA slightly more than Orange County, but it's no backwater. We just wanted to see if we could try our luck out here for a while… and I think it's paying off; don't you?"

The interview continued for a large portion of the night, surrounded by drunken friends in the now very cramped dressing room; a slow and steady stream of alcohol being consumed by those who occupied the vicinity, swiftly followed by stronger substances. They were rock stars now after all.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 1**

**6 YEARS PREVIOUS**

The Cohen clan sat silently around the polished breakfast bar, each immersed in their respective actions, be it eating, reading, planning their next joke in their mind, or brewing a fresh pot of coffee for a much needed caffeine fix. After a few moments of peaceful tranquillity, the shrill blare of the phone shattered their serenity with one loud and obnoxious ring. Awakened from her thoughts, Kirsten set down the scolding coffee pot and elegantly sashayed across the kitchen to retrieve the nuisance that had disturbed them this fine Wednesday morning.

"Hello," her calm voice penetrated the air, still slightly rusty from rare misuse. Her harmony was once again broken when she discovered the source of the call.

"Hi KiKi. It's me." The oh-so familiar voice sliced through the phone line and sent slight shivers through her toned body.

"Julie…hi…what can I do for you." At the slight uttering of her name, the once calm kitchen was now a mass of fleeing figures, trying to escape even the virtual claws of the dreaded woman.

"Come on Ryan we've got to be getting off to school you know. Just love school…can't be late…got learning to do…"

"Yeah…what he said."

The unlikely brothers stumbled out of the house and into the car, ready for a fast escape, when Kirsten's knuckles on the window alerted them that they had not been fast enough.

"Sorry boys, but that was Julie Cooper whatever on the phone-"

"Really, we didn't know…nope…"

"Seth- just don't," a look of tedium, "her and my Father have decided to jet off for a month long holiday in Seychelles, leaving poor Marissa in the mansion by herself."

"That sucks…OK bye!"

"Wait, there's more-"

"Oh good." Seth rapped his fingers on the steering wheel impatiently. His skinny black tie hooked round the wheel awkwardly.

"Yes, apparently, due to Marissa's recent behaviour, Julie feels it irresponsible to leave her alone so long…"

"Wait," Ryan interjected, "she thinks it's irresponsible to leave Marissa alone in a house for a month, but pissing off to another country without her is a fine example of perfect parenting?!"

"I know…it's just…I know" exasperated Kirsten continued, "so, I said she could stay here. Could you bring her home after school please?"

"Absolutely, see you later Kirsten," Ryan called from the reversing vehicle.

"Choa!" barked Seth, as they started off towards Harbour High.

The luscious scenery a blur in the window as the brothers drove towards the school, a mix of idle conversation and mocking.

"So, the old ex-girlfriend coming to stay…for a month. Fun times or what!" Seth smirked behind his aviators.

"It will be fine…won't it?" Nervousness momentarily flashed across Ryan's rugged features, only to be replaced with calm, as he reasoned that he and Marissa were good friends now and that everything would work out OK. She would be good company beside Seth for a while at least.

"Well I think it's great. Hopefully she'll bring some lesbian lovers round and you know..." A perverted smile pervaded his features.

"Seth! What about Summer?" Ryan asked dazed.

"Well I could ask but I don't think she's into that kinda thing!"

"Oh God!" Ryan repeatedly banged his head on the window until they reached the school, somewhat indecent thoughts that seemingly couldn't be physically extracted, plagued his wary mind.

Marissa lay, stretched out in the beaten old sofa, with a coffee in one hand and iPod in the other. Seemingly in her own world, eyes closed, head bobbing and lips murmuring the lyrics to whatever song she was currently listening to. Other busy students scrambled round her, off to their respective lessons, while she lay, oblivious. The boys spotted her from across the room and sidled over. Extracting the headphones not-so delicately from her ears, she sat up, annoyed, glaring at her intruders.

"Cooper." Seth said in way of greeting.

"Cohen…this better be good. That was The Rolling Stones." Marissa remarked in response, briefly flashing a smile in Ryan's direction.

"Really, which album?" Seth said eagerly.

"Aftermath."

"Ahh, genius. Paint It Black- classic!"

"I know! I just love-"

"OK, can we continue this later; some of us actually plan on attending class this morning." Ryan somewhat testily interrupted.

"Yes sir. We were just having a conversation. People have them sometimes, maybe not in Chino though..." Seth replied cheekily. His flashy sunglasses now securely tucked in his bag and his tie knot-free.

"Ha! Funny…anyway there was a purpose to this little visit." Ryan continued.

"Really, I thought you just enjoyed the pleasure of my company." Marissa was now fully upright waiting patiently on the sofa.

"Well that too, but we were wondering if you wanted us to help you move some stuff after school. And if you wanted Thai tonight."

"Not as if there's a choice anyway." Seth threw in.

"OK you've totally lost me! Are you inviting me round tonight?" Marissa asked mildly perplexed at the situation.

"What no… well I guess…but…huh!"

"Always as articulate as ever huh Cohen?" Marissa giggled.

"You're staying, while your Mum's away." Ryan said with a chuckle at Marissa's joke.

"Where's she going?" She asked, even more confused now.

"You mean she didn't tell you!" Seth enquired incredulously.

"Tell me what?" Marissa was now slightly annoyed at the sour situation, and wanted an answer. Ryan was helpful to respond:

"They've gone to Seychelles for a month and you're staying at the Cohen's with us."

"Oh great! How nice of her to tell me she was buggering off around the globe and leaving me." Marissa said with a satirical smile.

"I'm sure she will." Seth added weakly.

"No…she wasn't in the house when I left this morning so, knowing her, she's probably already left." Silence. "Oh well. Is it cool I stay with you guys?"

"Yeah it's great!" Ryan responded a little too quickly, which was not missed by Seth. They each headed to their various classes, a mixture of expressions, anxious to start the day.

The clock clucked on the wall. The tacky teacher with cheap, nylon trousers droned an incessant noise through her badly painted chops. Students were an array of eagerness and utter apathy. It just so happened that the most apathetic student in this particular class happened to be a certain "Miss Cooper!" The poorly decorated mouth was moving again, this time in a sterner manner. Not that it made a difference, "would you kindly like to join in us in this world please! You have exams coming up and we have no time to spare!" small globules of spit made suicide dives across the classroom; each trying to target a victim. The poor people in the front row; they never saw it coming!

"Sorry. I was just…I was…" Nothing.

"Yes you was just…leaving my class room weren't you. I'll see you in detention!"


End file.
